Book Descriptions
for The Wicked King by Holly Black
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
The second and third volumes of the Folk of the Air series satisfyingly complete this enchanting trilogy mired in the complex politics as imagined here in the world of faerie. In The Wicked King, mortal Jude struggles with her new, covert control of King Cardan—and thus the land of Faerie itself—while he does his best to subvert her power even as toxic attraction continues to sizzle between them. Meanwhile, new powers begin to vie for the throne, aided by a traitor who will betray Jude. When Queen of Nothing opens, Jude, who is white, is now queen and has been banished by Cardan to the mortal world. Disguised as her twin, Taryn, she reenters Faerie to find that war is on the horizon and a curse is about to complicate things further. It’s difficult to say which aspect of the series is strongest: the stunning, intricate world-building; the complex relationships among the characters; or the riveting plotting. Perhaps above all, Jude herself deserves praise. Brilliant, strong-willed, and determined, she is distinguished from the fae by much more than her mortality. (Age 12 and older)
CCBC Choices 2020. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2020. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.
You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.
The first lesson is to make yourself strong.
After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.
When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.
You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.
The first lesson is to make yourself strong.
After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.
When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.